Under-14s and Under-16s impress on day one at Mubadala Arena Al-Ain and Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club secured their place in the finals for U-14 boys ABU DHABI: The Jiu-Jitsu President’s Cup 2023 kicked off at the Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City on Friday with preliminary round competitions in the U-14 and U-16 divisions showcasing the skills of male and female athletes from various clubs and academies across the UAE. For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @ArabNewsSport Al-Ain and Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club secured their place in the finals for U-14 boys, while Baniyas and Sharjah Self-Defense made it to the finals in the girls’ division. In the U-16 category, Al-Ain and Al-Wahda secured their spots in the boys’ final, while Baniyas and Al-Jazira qualified for the girls’ final. Mohammed Salem Al-Dhaheri, deputy chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, praised the athletes’ performances, saying in a press release: “The brilliance of the boys and girls on the mats reflects the efforts of clubs and academies in developing programs that improve their abilities, qualify them for competition and prepare them optimally to join the national team. “The championship is developing year after year, and presents us with a group of new talents capable of preserving the gains made by UAE Jiu-Jitsu in the past,” he added. “There is no doubt that adding the Under-14 category to the tournament added more excitement to the competitions, especially since they represent the future and the next generation of champions.” Obaid Al-Kaabi, a director at Baniyas Sports Company, said: “Baniyas Club has been the title holder for four consecutive years in the adult category. The team has achieved other notable accomplishments in the women’s category of different age groups.” He added that their preparations for the tournament began several weeks ago, with the goal of achieving the unique accomplishment and retaining the title in all categories. Abdul Aziz Al-Hammadi, director of the Sports Training Department at the Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club, praised the organization of the tournament and stressed his club’s goal of enhancing awareness about the sport. Obaid Saeed Alketbi, a participant from Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club in the U-16, under-55 kilograms division, said: “Participating in the Jiu-Jitsu President’s Cup is a source of pride for all of us. Our team today is determined to maintain the title the juniors achieved last year, and the beginning has been very promising, as we succeeded in the first group of fights, which were not without difficulty, and we will continue with team spirit until the (end).” Alyazia Alhammadi, who represented Al-Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Academy in the U-16, under-45kg division said: “We started our preparations at Al-Wahda Club a full month ago. We were able to win the first fights, and our most important weapons are focus and teamwork toward one goal, which is achieving the title.”